Where have all the big potatoes gone?

[PollyRockets]

AIBU to think there is a mass, large potato shortage!?

Once a week we have baked potato night at home. There is a toppings bar, it's a hoot.

For the past 4-5 months I have not for the life of me been able to find nice, large baking potatoes anywhere. I like the ones the size of my head.

I've been to different shops, in different areas and nothing

The only offerings are tiny, 8 year olds palm sized potatoes.

Is there a national shortage? Have I just been unlucky every time I've gone in any supermarket within a 20 mile radius of my home and elsewhere (I even looked when visiting family in Southampton the other week and same issue there!)

It's not main crop potato time till Sept/Oct in normal years, so a lack of large potatoes for the previous 4-5 months won't all be due to this year's drought. Lack of large potatoes in the next 4-5 months though.....

Get some frozen ones, problem solved.

What's on your toppings bar options ?

Love the sound of a topping bar and having a hoot while using it!! Tell us more.

As per other PPs I enjoy several small spuds with different toppings on each. And they cook in under an hour whereas the big buggers can take 1.5-2 hours so see it as an energy saving exercise.

I don't see them in any of supermarkets I go in but town markets near me have the huge ones.

There is something comforting about a massive, perfectly baked potato sat on your plate

You think 'how can I eat this entire thing'

Then laugh inside because you know you will eat the whole thing and pudding.

I’ve noticed that bulbs of garlic have shrunk too. Not just recently, but over the last couple of years. Sainsburys does “extra large” garlic but it is still smaller than what I would expect a standard head of garlic to be.

It’s the lack of rain, and larger potatoes are generally harvested later in the year.

Think the salad bar at the Harvester but way, way worse

Bowls of tuna Mayo, baked beans (hot of course, I'm not a demon), grated cheese, diced chicken in a fajita Mayo

Plus butter, because what potato is complete without butter

Typically tuna mayo, butter, diced chicken in a fajita mayo, beans then grated cheese if people want to be fancy!

Potatoes need a LOT of water to bulk up. They are one of the thirstiest crops you can grow.

Potato farmer here. As PP said, main crop harvest hasn’t started yet, so it’s just earlies and new at the moment - which are obviously supposed to be small. Not holding out much hope for this years crop, due to the lack of irrigation being allowed and difficulty getting hold of various chemicals. A lot of potato farmers, ourselves included, cut back on the crop size last year, due to being hit hard by lack of sales during Covid and literally having to throw potatoes away (they were offered to local food banks and kitchens but no one would take unprocessed potatoes!) Same for this year - the market is just so unpredictable. Also, being a large potato lover, you might find this hard to believe, but people generally don’t want large potatoes - to the point that they are pulled out at grading and sent for stock feed. Having a large potato in a bag is seen as being as bad as having a rotten one!! Personally though, I’m with you - the bigger the better!!

This is so interesting, thank you!

Crazy how there was a lack of demand during COVID, in shit times I always turn to the comfort of a potato!

Please change your user name to Charlie Big Potatoes.

Just do baked new potatoes and call them fun size

You forgot the jar of marmite for your toppings bar.
<lobs grenade into thread and legs it>

Marmite

On a potato

Intriguing

On its own? Or with the cheese?

This thread has made me hungry.

I feel your pain
Just teeny tiny potatoes over here

Hampshire.... well two of them are in my halogen oven as we speak..

Yup! Two potatoes, over half a kilo each!

Potato, butter, marmite, cheese and/ or beans.
But just butter and marmite would do.

They’ve moved to Norway. I cannot get small potatoes in my local shop. I spent time picking through them yesterday to try to find some even medium sized ones.

merl what is an "unprocessed potato". Is it one with dirt still on it. Or did they want mash and chips?

The old chaps at the allotment are religious about watering their spuds.